How
does the Peanut Hotline work? The
Peanut Hotline works this way: by calling 800-828-2214 or going
to loosefillpackaging.com, individuals learn of the nearest collection
site for plastic loosefill packaging. They bring their extra loosefill
to a Peanut Hotline member business. That business reuses the loosefill
in their outgoing shipments.

What
is plastic loosefill?Plastic
loosefill, also known as packing peanuts, is a void-fill packaging
product made of expanded polystyrene. It is over 99.6% air. It consists
of small pieces of sturdy protective packaging that is used to fill
in the empty space between merchandise and exterior cartons.

What
about other plastic packaging?

For questions about large pieces of expanded polystyrene packaging,
call Alliance
of Foam Packaging Recyclers at 415-451-8340. They know about
the type of plastic packaging that is in molded shapes that fits
around large pieces of equipment or computers, DVDs, etc.

WE
CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER PLASTIC PACKAGING, ONLY ABOUT
PLASTIC LOOSEFILL.

Where
can I buy plastic loosefill?You
can buy plastic loosefill from packaging manufacturers and distributors
across the country. To find one near you, look under Packaging Supplies
in the Yellow Pages or contact one of
the PLFC Members.

Peanut
Hotline membership benefits?As
a collection center member of the Peanut Hotline you receive free
loosefill packaging, potential new walk-in customers, recognition
as a local community service provider, a great public relations story
to tell your local media and 24-hour phone advertising of your business
to local callers. To learn more, click on Peanut
Hotline.

How
can I join the Peanut Hotline?You
can join the Peanut Hotline by printing out the membership
form provided on this website and sending it in with your check
for your dues payment. You can pay for one year at $30 or two years
at $50. There is a discount for enrolling more than one store.

If
you want our brochure "Plastic Foam Loose fill and the Environment,"
email your request to literature@loosefillpackaging.com.
Please include your name and address in the email, so we know where
to send it.

Find
a Peanut Hotline collection site?To
find your nearest Peanut Hotline collection site, click on Drop-off
Sites. If the nearest Peanut Hotline site is too far from you,
look up a packaging store business in your yellow pages and ask
them if they would like your plastic loosefill. You can also ask
a local craft shop if they can use your extra loosefill.

How
do I use plastic loosefill?To
pack with pastic loosefill, first dispense a layer of loosefill
in the bottom of the carton. Heavier articles need more loosefill.
Place the article that you are sending in the center of the carton
on the bed of loosefill. Pour loosefill into the space around the
sides of the article so there's a minimum of four inches of loosefill
between the article and the side of the carton. Overfill the carton
with more loosefill so it forms a small mound above the top edge
of the box. Do not remove excess loosefill. Close the box firmly.
This will interlock the loosefill and hold your article in place
during shipment.

Plastic
loosefill and the environment?The
minimum recycled content in plastic loosefill is 25%. Some loosefill
has 100% recycled content. Through the national reuse program for
plastic loosefill, the Peanut Hotline, member businesses, on average,
use 50% reused loosefill in their outbound shipments. Over 30% of
all plastic loosefill is reused. Plastic loosefill is an expanded
polystyrene product made up of 99.6% air. Because of its light weight
and sturdy nature, it provides excellent protection for fragile
shipments and adds little to shipping weight. For more information
click on Environmental Questions.

What
is the history of EPS loose fill?EPS
loose fill was invented in the years following World War II when
advances in plastics technology met the demand for cleaner and lighter
weight substitutes for the household or barnyard packaging materials
that soldiers used to ship home their valuables. On receipt, packages
stuffed with popcorn, paper and rubberized horse hair void-fills
often arrived with vermin, debris and broken pieces of the valuables
they were meant to protect. Contaminated boxes and the introduction
of foreign born pests led to the military and postal services banning
food-based packaging materials.

As America prospered in the fifties, businesses and consumers ordered
more products by mail. Packaging technology evolved to meet America's
rapidly growing shipping needs. One of these developments was EPS
loose fill. Its light weight and strong cushioning abilities literally
filled the void between the product and the package exterior walls.

The first EPS loose fill manufacturer was Dow Chemical. Styrene
resin was an available by-product of the petrochemical industry.
Dow engineers and chemists discovered that, when injected with a
gas, styrene plastic maintained its strength in a softer, lighter
form, making it ideal as a package cushioning product. Dow's original
technology injected chloroforocarbon or CFC gas into styrene plastic
rods, resulting in pencil-thick, light-weight and flexible ropes
that simulated and improved on rubberized horsehair packaging.

Over time, the rod shape evolved into S, C, H and 7 shapes that
flowed easily into boxes from overhead packaging feeder systems.

With environmental concerns came developments such as cleaner blowing
agent substitutes for CFCs, the recycling of gasses in the manufacturing
process, the recycling of styrene resin in the production of loose
fill, the remanufacturing of EPS loose fill into new products and
a consumer reuse program for EPS loose fill in the United States.

Today, EPS loose fill is manufactured and used worldwide. It is
produced regionally by plastics packaging companies using recycled
polystyrene and styrene by-products purchased from petrochemical
companies. In its finished form, EPS loose fill is 99.6% air, up
to 100% recycled plastic content, easily reused and exceptionally
protective as a cushioning package material.